When going on a scuba diving vacation to the tropics, you need lightweight travel diving fins that don’t compromise on performance.
The best modern diving fins use materials that allow them to be neutrally buoyant in the water, light in weight to avoid expensive airline baggage fees, and use a stiff, wide-bladed, design that provides ample power and maneuvering ability.
With those factors in mind, here is my pick of the top-5 tropical vacation travel scuba diving fins:
Economical tech diving kit manufacturer ‘Deep 6’ retails a lightweight Jet-Fin inspired design, which comes in 2 sizes (large and XL) and 2 colors (black, blue, and orange).
They re-designed the foot pocket for increased comfort. It comes with steel spring straps as standard. The fins weigh about 6 lbs a pair (3 lbs per fin) and are slightly positive in salt water (neutral in fresh) due to non-rubber construction.
The Xdeep Fin is available in three levels of stiffness to suit any diver’s preferences. I’d suggest the hard fin was most suitable for precision control and power. In diver tests, the fins were neutral/slightly positive.
They come with a stainless steel spring strap as standard. They weigh in at 2.6kg for a pair (1.2kg/2.87 lbs per fin) and have a length of 495mm.
Product Page: Not yet listed on the XDeep website
4. Force Fin Pro
I have used Force Fins for the last 15 years and they remain my strong favorite for technical, sidemount, and wreck penetration diving. They are available in 6 sizes and have an optional bungee strap (highly recommended).
They are very short in length and the curved blade provides highly efficient forward motion and very good control technique – although the user will need to adapt their foot motion slightly to get that control; it’s all about the ankle motion. With a little practice and it works great for frog kick, helicopter turns and back kick.
These fins have sold multiple orders to elite naval special forces around the globe.
The OMS Slipstream models a classic ‘Jet Fin’ design, but the fins are manufactured from a more lightweight ‘monoprene’ material – making them near-neutral in the water.
The fin is available in 4 sizes; medium, large (4.5lbs), XL (5.1lbs) and XXL (5.9lbs).
These classics were the second pair of fins I ever bought. They are lightweight and near-neutral in the water due to Thermoplastic rubber/ Tecralene construction. The rising popularity of sidemount diving has given them a new lease of life, as they’ve proven a popular and economical option for many.
The latest “+” version of the fin comes with bungee straps as standard and is available in three sizes (Small, Regular, and XL) and six colors. The fins weigh .9 kg.
The main drawback is the fin length (38cm) which provides less accurate control than smaller-bladed fins….and is less optimal for traveling divers.
The XT is another classic design that is especially popular with sidemount divers in the USA. The lightweight monoprene blend gives a near-neutral performance in the water.
Another longer fin, the stiff material still gives good control in the water. It is available in 4 sizes (small, medium, large and XL) and two colors (black or grey).
The fins weigh from 4.7 lbs/2.13kg (small) to 6.3 lbs/2.86 kg (large). They come with stainless steel spring straps as standard.
The Hollis F2 comes as standard with stainless steel spring straps and is designed to offer great control and power, in a limited size.
They offer a good deal of maneuverability without the weight/length limitations of their big brother, the ‘F1’ fin (which is popular with drysuit divers).
A slightly different design of ‘vents’ on the fin, but the F2 remains firmly an offspring of the famous ‘Jet’ style.
This is a classic vented fin, intended to maximize performance and developed with technical divers in mind. They are slightly negatively buoyant and feature a widened blade to promote increased maneuverability without compromising the power.
The Fourth Element fins are supplied with a hanging/carrying strap which can be used to attach them to a BCD or harness for carrying, leaving both hands free for climbing ladders or carrying other gear.
They weigh between 2kg (size S) and 3.5kg (size XXL).
Scubapro offers a very lightweight design that increases convenience when traveling and comfort and ease of use in the water. The fins weigh between 1.0 kg/2.2 lbs (XS-S) to 1.2 kg/2.6 lbs (M-L) per pair. They are designed to fit easily in IATA carry-on-compliant luggage.
They are supplied with self-adjusting bungee heel straps and are designed to be wearable with booties or bare feet. No information is supplied about their buoyancy characteristics.
In conclusion, choosing the right diving travel fins for your tropical vacation scuba diving adventures is crucial for optimal performance and comfort. Lightweight diving travel fins have become a popular choice among divers, offering a balance of maneuverability, power, and convenience.
When selecting your perfect pair of vacation diving fins, consider factors such as material buoyancy, weight, and blade design.
Opting for fins that are neutrally buoyant allows for effortless movement in the water, while lightweight construction ensures ease of travel without incurring excessive baggage fees. The use of a stiff and wide-bladed design provides the necessary power and maneuvering ability to navigate through diverse underwater environments.
Currently residing in Subic Bay, Philippines; he has amassed more than 10,000 open-circuit and CCR dives over three decades of challenging diving across the globe.
Andy has published numerous diving magazine articles and designed advanced certification courses for several dive training agencies, He regularly tests and reviews new dive gear for scuba equipment manufacturers. Andy is currently writing a series of advanced diving books and creating a range of tech diving clothing and accessories.
Prior to becoming a professional technical diving educator in 2006, Andy was a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Belize, and Cyprus.
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I’ll update the article with those details on sizes and colours. Legs, lungs and heart provide power. Fins merely transition that power based on the water resistance they create to enable an equal and opposite force for acceleration. Shape and stiffness of the fin blade influence the water resistance developed. A high-resistance fin enables greater acceleration, but that’s ultimately dependent on the muscular exertion that is available to drive them over time. For most divers in most scenarios, potential power (and speed) is a relatively insignificant factor. Manoeuvrability is a far more significant consideration, and, of course, choosing a fin that doesn’t demand more muscular and cardio-vascular exertion than the diver is capable of delivering or sustaining.
Thanks Derek, I’ll get the post updated to reflect that info.
Interesting article. Couple of things you missed though:
Slipstreams have been available in medium for quite some time now.
The Deep6 fins are now available in blue.
Aquatec makes a neutrally buoyant version of the Poseidon Trident fins which provide much more power than Apeks-RK3
I’ll update the article with those details on sizes and colours. Legs, lungs and heart provide power. Fins merely transition that power based on the water resistance they create to enable an equal and opposite force for acceleration. Shape and stiffness of the fin blade influence the water resistance developed. A high-resistance fin enables greater acceleration, but that’s ultimately dependent on the muscular exertion that is available to drive them over time. For most divers in most scenarios, potential power (and speed) is a relatively insignificant factor. Manoeuvrability is a far more significant consideration, and, of course, choosing a fin that doesn’t demand more muscular and cardio-vascular exertion than the diver is capable of delivering or sustaining.
Thanks Derek, I’ll get the post updated to reflect that info.
Interesting article. Couple of things you missed though:
Slipstreams have been available in medium for quite some time now.
The Deep6 fins are now available in blue.
Aquatec makes a neutrally buoyant version of the Poseidon Trident fins which provide much more power than Apeks-RK3